The massive touring production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice classic “Jesus Christ Superstar” that was to have starred Sex Pistols/Public Image Ltd. frontman John Lydon and hit 54 cities across North America this summer has been canceled less than two weeks before it was slated to open.

John Lydon will tour North American arenas this summer, but not with Public Image Ltd. or the Sex Pistols — no, the erstwhile Johnny Rotten will play King Herod in a new touring production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” that also will feature members of Incubus, *NSYNC and Destiny’s Child.

The Houston, Texas-based Catastrophic Theatre is working with Pixies frontman Black Francis to adapt his 2007 solo album ‘Bluefinger’ — a concept record about the life and death of Dutch rocker and painter Herman Brood — into a rock opera set to debut this fall.

The producer of ‘Playing the Angel: The Musical’ — which was to have been based around Depeche Mode songs such as ‘Personal Jesus’ and ‘Walking in My Shoes’ — has pulled the plug on the project, citing ‘miscommunication and misunderstanding’ over his rights to use the band’s music.

A cutting-edge theater company on the Mediterranean island of Malta has acquired the rights to use Depeche Mode songs such as ‘Personal Jesus’ and ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ in ‘Playing the Angel: The Musical,’ which is set to open early next year.